In some lines of thought realization of emptiness requires mental fitness generated through dhyāna. Dhyāna requires that one sever desire (specifically sexual desire as it is generally strongest).

Therefore, in order to realize emptiness you need to sever sexual desire, which requires celibacy (mental and physical).

In terms of great compassion, as well, dhyāna is required to comprehend the suffering of the formless and form realms, the attainment of which requires celibacy.

So, as a yogic endeavour of sorts, one must sever sexual desire in order to really gain wisdom and compassion. Liberation and the bodhisattva path are only possible by halting and eliminating sexual desire.

Thing with sex is that it's a very strong influence.. It grabs your mind and drags you off to all kinds of non-clarity mind frames, kind of like a drug addict jonesing for a fix. So you lose yourself.. Whether or not it has particular health benefits is beside the point, as it's the affect on your mind that causes you to start leaking mind all over the place, which the deeply spiritual practitioners of most faiths avoid by simply avoiding sex Other "commandments" or "precepts" are for similar reasons

Last edited by randomseb on Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:45 pm, edited 4 times in total.

Disclaimer: If I have posted about something, then I obviously have no idea what I am talking about!

randomseb wrote:Thing with sex is that it's a very strong influence.. It grabs your mind and drags you off to all kinds of non-clarity mind frames, kind of like a drug addict jonesing for a fix. So you lose yourself.. Whether or not it has particular health benefits is beside the point, as it's the affect on your mind that causes you to start leaking mind all over the place, which the deeply spiritual practitioners of most faiths avoid by simply avoiding sex Other "commandments" or "precepts" are for similar reasons

If you want to see how deep your addictions for sensual pleasures go, give up all sexual activities for a time (cut out the porn, masturbation and normal coupling you might do with a partner).

Most of us are perpetually intoxicated by desires, but don't realize it. We'll make excuses for it as well.

"It is okay to enjoy your food."

"Sex is only natural."

"Drinking helps me relax."

At a very deep level desire prompts rebirth. All your horrific experiences in saṃsāra are made possible by desire. Your probable future degeneration into the lower realms wouldn't occur if you remedied desire in this life. So long as kāma (desire) is active, rebirth in the desire realm, which includes the lower realms, is possible.

Hence the Buddha taught that liberation is made possible by abandoning desire. That means giving up sex. Arhats don't experience lust. If you want liberation, all mental poisons are to be remedied.

At a more basic level, though, no matter how much sex you have you'll always want more. I've had my share of wild experiences and ultimately it was unsatisfying and craving only increased. Some might argue that the emotional component is what we should look for, but that's another form of grasping and desire.

Emotion and lust are suffering and to follow them is to perpetuate a vicious cycle.

randomseb wrote: It grabs your mind and drags you off to all kinds of non-clarity mind frames, kind of like a drug addict jonesing for a fix. So you lose yourself..

Hence the Buddha taught that liberation is made possible by abandoning desire. That means giving up sex. Arhats don't experience lust. If you want liberation, all mental poisons are to be remedied.

What it means is giving up the desire for sex, quite so! Desire here not being the english word "desire" relating to sexual behaviors, but desire in that your mind is caught up in trying to grasp something, leaving you lost to yourself while the ego-bundle tries to feed on whatever has it hooked, and your mind essence, your buddha-essence, so to speak, is lost in the haze.

As I am fond of this particular visual metaphor, here's a good representation of what happens to your mind-space when "forms" appear, the boats being the placeholder for "you":

As a gentle reminder, as everyone knows, there are three views with respect to desire depending on whether you are receiving instruction on the path of renunciation, transformation or spontaneous liberation. Having said that I think that an integrated practice will eventually end up at celibacy. Although it's very difficult, there are simply too many benefits to ignore.

randomseb wrote:
What it means is giving up the desire for sex, quite so! Desire here not being the english word "desire" relating to sexual behaviors, but desire in that your mind is caught up in trying to grasp something, leaving you lost to yourself while the ego-bundle tries to feed on whatever has it hooked, and your mind essence, your buddha-essence, so to speak, is lost in the haze.

No need to muddy things.

The Buddha was quite clear that sex needs to be abandoned for liberation to be possible.

Practitioners who are serious about liberation from saṃsāra cease sexual activities.

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.
Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.
Through the qualities of meditating in that way,
Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."

randomseb wrote:
What it means is giving up the desire for sex, quite so! Desire here not being the english word "desire" relating to sexual behaviors, but desire in that your mind is caught up in trying to grasp something, leaving you lost to yourself while the ego-bundle tries to feed on whatever has it hooked, and your mind essence, your buddha-essence, so to speak, is lost in the haze.

No need to muddy things.

The Buddha was quite clear that sex needs to be abandoned for liberation to be possible.

Practitioners who are serious about liberation from saṃsāra cease sexual activities.